Four-cycle explosive-engine.



Patented Sept |6, 902. H. c.y STRANG. f FOUR GYCLE EXPLUSIVE ENGINE. (Applicationvled' Fehn 15, 1896. Renewed Feb. 20, 1902.)

4 Sheets-Sheet l.

(N o Model.)

41;; f @gg/M m @ZM-m `V Nn. 709,060. Patented Sept. I6, |902..

H. C. STBNG.

FOUR CYCLE EXPLUSIVE ENGINE.A

Y 4 (Application led Feb. 15, 1898. Renewed Feb. 20, 1902.) gno Model.) 4 shets-'sheetl-z.

v a jzyefff/ No. 709,0602 Patnfed sept. 16, |902.I H. C. STBNG. FOUR CYCLE EXPL'USIVE ENGINE. (Application filed Feb. 15, 1896. Renewed Feb. 20, 1902.)

- (No Modal.)

' Patented Sapt. I6,l902 H. 0. STBNG.v

- .FOUR CYCLE EXP LOSIVE lENGINE. (Appueaeioq med Fab. i5, 189e. Renewed Feb. 2q, 1992:

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(no raquel.)

AVE r UNTTED STATES ATENT CFFICE.

IIENRIK C. STRN'GUOF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOUR-CYCLE EXPLOSIVE-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION foi-ming part of Letters Patent No. 709.060, dated September 16, 1902. Application iiled February 15J 1896. Itenewed February 20, 1902. Serial No. 94,927. (No model.)

This invention relates to improvements in double-acting gas-engines.

The object of the invention is to simplify.A

and improve the construction of gas-engines and in part to construct such an engine to feed back a part of the remains of a fired charge into the cylinder with a fresh charge; also, to improve and perfect certain working parts of the engine. y y

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the engine. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the cylinder and connections, said section being on line 2, Figs. 3 and 4. Fig.- 3 is a transverse section on line 3, and Fig. 4 a transverse section on line 4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a broken vertical section showing cylinder and base and some other parts, theA sections being on line 5, Figs. 4 and 6. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on line 6, Fig. 5; Fig. 7, an enlarged broken section on line 7, Fig. 2. Fig. 7 5 Fig. 9, a broken detail section on line 9, Fig. 4; Fig. 10,. a section through the governor and connections on line 10, Fig. 2; Fig. 11, a section on line l1, Fig. 10; Fig. 12, a horizontal section on line 12, Fig. 10.

A indicates the cylinder, which is mounted on hollow pedestal B. The cylinder is connected with the shaft-supporting pedestal C` by the usual guide-frame D.

E denotes the crank-shaft; F, the connecting-rod; G, the piston-rod, and II the piston.

The cylinder has a water-jacket (indicated at l5) and water-spaces in the heads, (see 17 and 18.) A stuffing-,box 19 is provided around the piston-rod. At each end of the cylinder there isa chamber'b, into which the piston does not nieve, lines a. d indicating the extreme movement of the piston. The piston His of greater length than the length of its stroke, so that the working chamber at one end of the cylinder never extends as far toward the center of the cylinder as the proxi- 4shell of the cylinder. chamber 34 and be drawn therefrom by sucwith the air.

Fig. 8 is a section on line 8,

mate end ofthe Working chamber at the other end of the cylinder, andthe danger of comvmunicating re from one chamber to the `34, into which air may flow through holes 33. lFrom this chamber 34 a passage 36 leads to a longitudinal passage 3l in the side of the Air may thus enter tion toward either end of the cylinder. The gas which commingles with the air to form the explosive charge enters passage 3l through check-valve 68 and in said passage 3l is mixed The mechanism for controlling the entrance of gas will be hereinafter described. For the present the mixed air and gas will be called the fresh mixture, .and its course to the cylinder will now be described.

The description will in general be confined to the construction and operation of the de- Vices at one end of the cylinder, it being understood that they are du plicatedat the other end,although passage 3l is common to both ends of the cylinder.

The passage 31 leads to the casing 20Fig. 2, andthe mixture therein is prevented from moving to or toward the cylinder when Valve 22 is closed. At the proper time valve 22 is opened, and at this time the piston is moving in the cylinder to slick in the mixture through passage d, Fig. 9, and so into the cylinder. Vhen the proper quantity of mixture has thus been drawn into the cylinder, the valve 22 closes, and as the exhaust. is also closed the return stroke of the piston compresses the mixture in the cylinder. When the proper instant arrives, the mixture is ignited by the operation of the timing-valve 50, and the mixture is exploded, both the inlet and the exhaust Valve being closed during the explosion. The explosion drives the piston along in the cylinder, communicating power to the shaft and fly-wheel, as usual. On the return stroke the exhaust-valve 27 is opened by mechanism to be explained, and the burned gases are forced out through passage d, thence down and along passage 32, under the cylinder to the chamber 37 in the IOO is drawn through valve 22. zoA

pedestal B, from which chamber the waste passes through opening 38 to exhaust-pipe 39. The exhaust-valve 27 remains open until the crank-shaft has passed its center and the piston begins its backward movement, and during such backward movement until valve 27 is closed a part of the gases or exhaustvapors is drawn back from the exhaust into the c vlinder. At the same time valve 22 again opens and a new portion of mixture is drawn from passage 3l, the new mixture and the vapors from the exhaustpassage commingling in the passage d and in the cylinder. When the predetermined quantity of the exhaust-vapors has been drawn into the cylinder, the exhaust-valve closes, and during the remainder of the backward movement of the piston the mixture that passes to the cylinder After valve 22 closes the compression-stroke is repeated, and at the close of such stroke the explosion again takes place. In the meantime a like operation takes place at the other end of the cylinder. Thus for one complete reciprocation of the piston and rotation of the crank two explosions take place-one explosion at each end of the piston- While at the next reciprocation no explosion takes place, the engine merely drawing iu and compressing the charges to be tired at the next reciprocation, and after each explosion a part of the vapors of the explosion will be ejected and then drawn back along with the fresh mixture.

The shaft 40 extends parallel with the cylinder and is driven by gearing 44 from the main shaft. The shaft 40 is supported in bearings 4l 42 43 and carries actuating-cams 48, which open the inlet and exhaust valves, and cams 60, which open 'the timing-valves. The form of the cams is such as to maintain the valves open for a proper time and the arrangement of the cams on the shaft such as to open the valves at the proper instan t.

The valve-stein 24 of valve 22 passes through a tight joint in the casing 2U and has a screwthreaded cap 45 at its lower end, which cap may be adjusted on the Valve-stem and held by a set-screw. A spring 49 surrounds a boss on the casing and bears on cap 45, tending to hold the valve to its seat. A link 46 is pivoted at 47 to a suitable support and has a friction-wheel running on cam 48. The outer end of this link supports the lower end of the valve-stein. Y

Gas is admitted to the ignition-tube 52 through pipe 56, and air is admitted around this tube to support combustion through apertures 95, Fig. 8. The ignition-tube is surrounded by a casing 6l and is closed at the bottom by a screw-plug 8. A cross-passage 5l leads from nearthe bottom of the ignitiontube to the chamber CZ in proximity t0 the inlet-valve 22. The outer end of this passage is closed by a screw-plug 62, and a timingvalve 53 serves to close this passage except when the charge is to be ignited. Valve 53 passes through seat 50, and its spindle 54 is connected by screw-thread to cap 57, resting on link 58, which link bears on cam 60. By removing plug 62 the passage 5l may be easily cleansed, and by removing plug 8 the ignition-tube may be cleansed.

The 'combined governor and equilibrium gas-valve 35 is preferably located midway between the timing valves. The governorvalve casing 64 has a gas-passage leading to the air-passage 3l, hereinbefore referred to. The cock 66 shuts off. or permits the flow of gas to the governor-valve, and after passing this valve the gas may pass the check-valve 68 into the passage 3l, being drawn in by the suction of the piston, the same as is air, as has been explained. Spring 69 holds valve 68 normally in position to close passage 67, but opens under suction.

The equilibrium-valve 70 is a cylindrical slotted sleeve fitting within a slotted sleeve 71, which sleeve 7l fits closely within the valve-casing 64 at top and bottom, but has an annular passage around it, except where such passage is cut off by vertical ribs 74, which ribs cutoff the passage around sleeve 7l. lA cap 76 holds sleeve 7l in place. The slotted sleeve 70 has an annular chamber 77, which is reached by the cross slots or ports correspending to the ports in sleeve 71. Inside the sleeve 70 there is an annular shoulder 78, which looselyT its an annular recess 79, which recess is between shoulder` 8O on sleeve 81, and a nut 82 on the lower end of such sleeve. Sleeve 8l surrounds shaft 85 and has a bearing 83 in cap 76. The sleeve 70 does not normally have contact with either shoulder 8O or nut 82, being supported by lip 75 on sleeve 7l. This leaves a clear space for lubrication through bearing 83. The sleeve 70 is held against rotation by lugs 84, projecting from sleeve or lining 71. `The sleeve 81 is feathered to the shaft 85, as at 86, so as to turn with said shaft, but to have a longitudinal movement thereon. The lower end of sleeve 8l when in lowest position rests 0n collar 87 on shaft 85. The upper end of sleeve 8l has lugs 88, to which the levers 89 are pivoted, the inner ends of these levers resting in a slot in the shaft 85, and the outer ends bearing the balls 90, in position to rise by centrifugal action, as usual in governors of this class. Shaft 85 is driven from shaft 40 by the engagement of gears 92 93. From this construction it will be seen that when the governor is at rest the ports 0. in the sleeves 70 and 7l are in line with each other, and there is an open passage through these ports, thence out through passages 73, and so around to the check-valve 68, and that the movable sleeve 70 is not supported by the governor; but when the governor moves with such rapidity as to lift the balls and sleeve 8l said sleeve will in turn lift sleeve 70, and so close or partly close the ports a and shut O the gas more or less, according to the speed of the engine.

From the foregoing it should be understood IOO IIO

that the air is drawn into passage 3l at all times when there is suction at either end of such passage. The gas is drawn in and mingled with said air in such quantities as the governor permits, and that after the explosion and expulsion of vapors from the cylinder a certain portion of these vapors, being of the part last expelled from the cylinder, is drawn back into the cylinder through the same port as the fresh mixture of air and gas and mingled therewith. The theory of this operation is that a valuable residuum of unconsumed gas remains in the cylinder after the explosion and that by drawing back acertain part of the expelled charge and mixing it with the fresh charge economy is effected, both by the heating of the new charge and the saving of a remnant of the old charge.

l. In a gas-engine, the double-action cylinder, the double-valve' chest at each end of said cylinder and the supply and separate exhaust valves in said cylinder with means for actuating said valves, a mixing-chamber and passages extending from it to the valve-chaml bers at the respective ends of the cylinder, substantially as described.

2. In a gas-engine, the horizontal cylinder, the double-acting piston therein, the valvechest at each end of said cylinder, each valveohest having an inlet and exhaust valve and means for operating the same, a mixingchamber and passages extending from it to the valve-chambers at the respective ends of the cylinder, substantially as described..

3. In a gas-engine, the governor, the governorfvalve, inserted loosely in its seat, the casing inclosing said valve, the lining interposed between said valve and its casing, said lining having ports as described, and a sleeve having a reciprocating and rotary motion and adapted to move the governor valve either upwardly or downwardly,snbstantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRIK C. STRANG.

Witnesses:

L. M. FREEMAN, L. B. COUPLAND. 

